Letter: Middle class tax cut

When our Congressman, Leonard Lance, was the minority Leader in the state Senate, he earned a reputation as a pragmatist who would “work across the aisle” to do what was best for the people of the state. However, as a congressman, he has voted in locked-step with ever-more extremist forces within Republican Party.

Today, Congressman Lance would serve us best by working with Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives to extend the Bush tax cuts for middle-class personal and small business incomes under $250,000; and he needs to do this now, before Christmas.

I work in the consumer electronics industry, and we need more customers across all income classes, not just a few big spenders at the top. Passing this legislation now would give 98% of taxpayers and 97% of small businesses the confidence to invest in our families, our homes and our businesses. Lance should not use the middle class as a bargaining chip to extend tax cuts for marginal incomes above $250,000 or enable corporate welfare for favored industries.

Simplifying the tax code is a wonderful idea, but experience shows that Congress and K Street could never accomplish that in the short time left before the end of the year.

Congressman Lance was elected by the people of the state’s 7th District to solve problems, not to obstruct what seems to most Americans as an obvious step in the right direction. Voters should tell him to pass the middle class tax cut extension now.